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Tuesday, January 8, 2013

The Happy Hour Effect by Kristen K. Brown Review and Giveaway

I am starting to really love these self help books, especially the ones where the author shares their ideas about how to de stress our lives, and have a more productive and more fulfilling life.

(There will be a Rafflecopter on this post in just a bit for you to enter to win your own copy of, The Happy Hour Effect!! This is the start of our, Make Time for Busy Moms, Giveaway month, and this is the perfect start:)

Of course this is ALWAYS something we can use advice on.
What's funny is, most of what Kristen K. Brown discusses with the reader, is kind of like, "OHH!! That makes so much sense!!" "So, why wasn't I doing it this way or that way??"

What sets , The Happy Hour Effect, away from quite a few other self help books I have read, is her personality, her own experiences, there are a lot of extras in this book, and besides the fact that everything in this book is quite possible, and fairly simple.
You will also find that you most likely have a lot in common with this very busy mom. She can really relate to most of us and what we go through in our busy days.
My favorite for instance is the part that I am personally very used too.
I rarely have time to wear much anything other then pajamas, lol, unless of course we are going to a doctor appointment or I am going to work. Well, really, work is iffy, depending on how bad my RSD in my legs are that weekend, I may just end up with pajama pants on. Haha, the same for the doctor, so ok, never mind. But there are times I just don't care what I look like and I will run out the door in pajamas,sometimes even braless! (slippers are all I can wear due to my RSD, but I do go out of my way to find pretty ones;), and I have short hair that sticks up everywhere in the back, kind of spiky. (I got this haircut about 12 years ago and have stuck with it because it saves me time, although, I rarely bother doing my hair unless I am going to work), but, I'm sure you get the picture.
I see plenty of other moms doing the same, and I am sure, like the author says, i have also scared a store clerk, or 2, or 3.
I am 38 years old, so I kind of "grew out" of the whole, "OMG! I am not leaving this house until my hair, make up and clothing is on!" attitude. It's a shame really, but sometimes we just don't have that time. There are to many kids, (even 1 is to many when you are trying to run out the door!), and you only have a few minutes to gather everything, coupons, wallet, keys, it just seems pointless to bother.
The point here is that if we would actually take the extra few minutes, even if we just wash our faces, brush our hair, throw barrettes in, anything, we would probably start to feel quite a bit better about ourselves, hence, a much happier attitude.
It is true that when you look good, you feel good. I even feel much better around the house with my lip gloss and barrettes. I know it isn't much, but it is better then nothing. It drives me crazy when there are so many kids banging on the door when I'm in the bathroom, screaming, fighting, bickering, I usually open the door and leave the way I am.
I was happy to read that the author knows what all of this is like. And she makes plenty of excellent points as to why we really should try and take those extra few minutes to get ready and look decent before we leave the house. Even if just down a few blocks for some milk.
There are some not so nice things that can start happening to us when we are super stressed out and lose energy. (This was another cool part, Kristen K. Brown isn't a fan of exercise, so we don't have to read all about how great our lives and bodies would be with exercise, who wants to hear that anyway?) However, if you use the simple steps in her book, you will most likely start to see changes almost just as fast as feeling the changes!
Stress brings on wrinkles, (something I sure don't want, especially since being older and being a new grandma!), it also brings more illnesses, you always feel tired, exhausted, annoyed, and your skin really takes a massive hit! Another one that really sucks, is stress fat. I know I don't need that at all! If there is something I can do to make all of these things better, make me healthier, and be almost stress free, I'm in!
I love the way this book is written, Kristen really took the time to prepare this book, and genuinely wants to help other people. It is very cool that everything she talks about, really isn't so far fetched and this is all within our reach.
Did you know by the way, that chocolate, especially darker chocolate, is a huge stress reducer? Well, it is, and you can eat it, and be happy and not worry about anything, why? Because it does indeed have health benefits and it makes you happy, therefore, less stressed out;) Of course she doesn't tell us to eat a few pounds a day!! I always have a bag of semi sweet chocolate chips in the fridge and I eat a few everytime I open the fridge;) YUM! It depends, I usually am stuck in the kitchen preparing food, planning meals, menus, doing dishes, and cleaning messes, and then preparing more food, packing lunches, it is neverending! OK, not every single time, but quite a few times a day I do grab a few;)
The Happy Hour Effect, is a definite must have for any busy moms, and dads! You probably know many people from work, school, family members, friends, neighbors, plenty of people who would benefit from this book. It is also handy to keep in your diaper bag, vehicle, purse, backpack, anywhere you may find yourself stressed out and need a good pick me up.About the author: (taken from the author's website)
Kristen K. Brown is The Queen of Stress Relief! She is a transformation coach, business consultant, bestselling and award-winning author, online TV host, speaker and the founder of Happy Hour Effect LLC and WidowMommy.com. She has her Master's Certificate in Integral Theory which is all about exploring and understanding issues from multiple perspectives. She is a Certified Holistic Health Consultant and is also a 15 year corporate America veteran. Her debut memoir, The Best Worst Thing, is about her journey to a new life after the unexpected death of her husband of a heart attack at the age of 30 when their daughter was just an infant. It hit the Amazon bestseller list the same day it was released and hit #1 on the Amazon Movers & Shakers list. Her second book, The Happy Hour Effect: 12 Secrets to Minimize Stress and Maximize Life, was released by Goodman Beck publishing in November 2012. She does live and virtual book signings, readings and book club events and a portion of the proceeds go to heart health research.
You can also find Kristen on Twitter and Facebook.
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.
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